Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Bhagwant Mann hosted a Rs 5,000-per-plate dinner to raise funds for the party’s future activities on Thursday night. Nearly 500 young professionals and people from affluent section of society attended the dinner. “We collected Rs 25 lakh at the fundraiser,” said AAP leader Aman Arora on Friday.

AAP leader Bhagwant Mann on his way to the fundraiser at a resort in Sangrur on Thursday night.(HT Photo)

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Bhagwant Mann hosted a Rs 5,000-per-plate dinner to raise funds for the party’s future activities on Thursday night. Nearly 500 young professionals and people from affluent section of society attended the dinner. “We collected Rs 25 lakh at the fundraiser,” said AAP leader Aman Arora on Friday.

“We expected participation of only 100 people. With 500 people turning up for the event, we are impressed with the response,” he said. Arora said the party was planning more such activities to generate more funds. He said people were willing to donate to the AAP, and the money collected would be spent on defeating the corrupt parties.

“This is a transparent way of generating funds for the party. We are also receiving donations online as well. While other parties get Rs 25 lakh from a single person, and then keep favouring him, we collected the amount from 500 people. This helps in eradicating corruption,” said Arora. Besides Bhagwant Mann, the Lok Sabha member from Sangrur, AAP leaders Sucha Singh Chhotepur and Durgesh Pathak were also present at the dinner.

Congress serves langar outside venue

While the AAP fundraiser was in progress at a prominent resort of the town, the Congress set up a community kitchen outside the venue. Around 400 people were fed during the ‘langar’.

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) vice-president Surinder Pal Singh Sibia said that the Aam Aadmi Party no longer represented the common man. “It has became a royal party, as its leaders sit with people who can afford to have a dinner worth Rs 5,000,” he said.

Sibia questioned that when the AAP had even failed to keep its four MPs together, how did it expect to unite and keep the whole state together.

Arora, meanwhile, said organising a “langar” outside the venue was just a political gimmick. “If they are so kindhearted, they should organise such community kitchens every day,” he said.